Residents of Washington Township in Toledo, Ohio are furious at the cop who pulled a woman over for a routine license plate violation, forced her and her family to lay in the street, threatened them with his gun and roughed up her father-in-law.​

​

The incident occurred on Sunday, when Cassandra Meyers was stopped near her home by a police officer identified only as Officer Hart. Her father-in-law, Aaron Tatkowski, witnessed Hart questioning Meyers, and approached. Tatkowski didn’t like the way Hart was talking to his daughter-in-law, according to Toledo News Now.​

​

What happened next was partly recorded by neighbors (video NSFW due to language). Hart ordered Tatkowski, his girlfriend, Meyers and her 14-year-old son to lay face down in the street. The family and the cop started yelling at each other, and Hart drew his gun and taser. He aimed at Tatkowski’s head as he scolded them for not following police instructions. He eventually arrested Tatkowski and put him in his car. He had suffered cuts and bruises and was eventually taken to the hospital.​

The video showed Officer Eric Hart pointing a tazer at a man and a woman on the ground. Many said the officer crossed the line with the force he used on the two, along with their teenage son. The Washington Township Police Department says Hart was placed on paid administrative leave Wednesday. The incident stemmed from a traffic stop involving a modified Ohio license plate. According to a police report, Aaron Tatkowski returned home while Officer Hart's vehicle was blocking his driveway. Tatkowski ended up on the ground handcuffed, before being placed in the back seat of Hart's vehicle.​

A Washington Township police officer is on administrative leave after a videotaped traffic stop was posted online and went viral. Officer Eric Hart is being paid while on leave, Washington Township police Chief Christopher Kaiser said. Officer Hart has worked part-time for the department for about two years ... In the four-minute, 50-second video, a woman shouts at Officer Hart that he is harassing people. The woman, who screams and shouts throughout the encounter, also claims Officer Hart smashed her cell phone when she tried to call 911 ... A witness called 911 to request a Toledo police crew for an “officer in distress.” Toward the end of the video, Officer Hart approaches the man, takes his phone, and tosses it aside, saying Toledo police are on the way.​

"smashed her cell phone" ... "takes his phone, and tosses it aside" -- see a pattern there? That's what bad, abusive cops do when they don't want their misbehavior documented. The second of those abuses can't really be disputed: It's on the video at 4:18 and a clear violation of the photographer's first amendment rights.​

That fat ... of a cop should be charged with assualt. He is not fit to serve with the brave men and women of law enforcement. If he was trained properly, he would have had the resources to defuse that situation properly. The pathetic cop lacks training, judgement, restraint and brains.

The people in that community should insist that he is dismissed from the police force and send a message to the elected officials that they will remember this incident during the next election.

I'd like to know where he was working previously. With only 20-24 months on the job at his current positions, there's good chance that Washington Township & Toledo Public Schools hired another agency's problem.